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Fionnuala


I discovered an entry in the Welsh Music Information Centre concerning the first ever modern work to be written specially for me. Fionnuala, inspired by Irish folklore, was a work for viol and harpsichord written by Andrew Wilson-Dickson, then the head of early music at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. It was during a recital in 2003, with harpsichordist Shane Thio, that I premiered the work in Singapore. Here is some information about Andrew:

Andrew Wilson-Dickson is a composer, pianist and conductor (as well as author, teacher and string-player). During his four years at Cambridge
University he studied piano with John Lill and then the organ at York with Nicholas Danby and Francis Jackson, at the same time holding the post of organ scholar at York Minster.

Just prior to his move to Wales in 1984, Andrew won the National Eiseddfod`s `Tlws y Cerddor` with Sefyddfa a Sgwrs for clarinet, strings, horn and accordion. But before and since then his compositions have been played (and broadcast) by many well-known artists such as Peter Lawson, Andrew Ball, Julian Jacobson (piano), Nancy Ruffer (flute), John Wallace (trumpet), Susanne Stanzeleit, Madeleine Mitchell (violin), (piano) Kevin Bowyer (organ), and by ensembles such as Lontano, the Wallace Collection and the Medici String Quartet (who played his string quartet commissioned by the BBC). He has written three operas and other dramatic works. He won the Bournemouth-Parry International Festival composition prize in 1999 with a piece (Psalm 29) which has since been taken on tour in Australia by the Sydney Chamber Choir.

As a result of his long-standing involvement with period music as a player and teacher, he is particularly interested in writing for early instruments – explaining the recent commissions for music from Fretwork and Charivari Agréable. Unknown to the players, he is writing a concerto grosso for the Welsh Baroque Orchestra, a period instrument ensemble which he founded and directs.

Recently completed commissions include Three Hail Marys (ten-piece brass) for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and The Fox, a cantata for period instruments first performed by the Welsh Baroque Soloists, summer 2005. A guitar concerto is due for first performance at the end of 2005.

Fionnuala will definitely see the light of day soon (harpsichordist Stewart Smith expressed great interest during our last recital), but in the meantime I shall be on the look out for more composers - especially young composers - to write for the viol. Perhaps one day I will premiere your work?

Défense de la basse de viole


This is a slightly amusing and revealing extract from a random blog I happened to stumble by during a Google search:

On Wednesday I caught a performance by Shaun Ng (viola da gamba), Jeong Ae-Ree (soprano) and Shane Thio (harpsichord). An entirely early programme:

Monteclair Le Triomfe de la Constance (sop, viola da gamba and continuo)
Simpson Ground in E minor (viola da gamba & basso continuo)
Telemann Sonata in D (Viola da gamba solo)
Rameau L'impatience (Sop & basso continuo)

A thoroughly enjoyable performance. Shane seems to be able to play anything and everything. Besides playing a harpsichord and not a piano, he was improvising all the way based on figured basses and the like. What a genius. Ae-Ree had a very pure tone which was very suited to this music and her singing was coloured and dramatic, reflecting the secular nature of the subjects. Shaun's viola da gamba was something I've only heard live one other time, at a concert by Les Arts Florissants performing Handel's Messiah. He plays well enough, and is very defensive of his instrument, as demonstrated in the post-concert interview with the artistes. What an evening! I had been transported to another place and time entirely.


Being described as being "very defensive" of my instrument hardly seems praise to any musician, but then again, I am not just any musician with such an uncommon instrument. During the interview, I was asked some rather factually inaccurate questions - mostly relating the viol to cello, which in reality has no truth or basis. Looks like this attempt to leave the audience a little more historically informed has backfired! (Despite playing in every piece, I get no credit!) :)

Recital


Due to personal circumstances, this recital, originally scheduled for 15th of April this year was cancelled. Now that things are sorted, the concert organisers at KULCHA have scheduled the recital for the 23rd of February 2007 at 8.00pm. Do check back often, as the recital and programme will be finalised at a later date.

Interview in Chelys Australis

with John Weretka
How did you first become involved with the viol?
In 1998, while studying modern violin in Vienna, I met Jose Vasquez, the professor of viola da gamba at the Vienna Hochschule for music. How it all started was really quite mysterious. While walking past the hochschule one day, something possessed me to get in touch with Jose. I called the secretariat, who gave me his number. Immediately, I gave Jose a call and explained my interest to learn the viol. I told him that I did not own a viol and hoped that it would not be a problem. He laughed it off and invited me over the same evening, where I joined him and some students playing Castello duets on baroque violin. It was then that I realised he owned a museum of original instruments. He lent me one of his viols and enrolled me under the hochschule's lehrgang studies. Back then it was not possible to do a degree in early music in Vienna, so after 6 months I had to venture elsewhere.

Could you tell me about your experiences in Europe?

Jose suggested I go to the United Kingdom, which I did. A scholarship to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama allowed me to study the baroque violin, as well as the viol to a lesser extent. Looking back, I feel that Jose gave me all the viol technique that I will ever need in that 6 months. After finishing with Wales, I moved to Holland, where I travelled between Amsterdam and the Hague for lessons.

I did most of my playing as a baroque violinist. I remember doing things like Monteverdi's Vespers and Poppea, Bach's Brandenburg concertos, Handel's operas, Mozart concertos, etc. As a viol player, I did more playing in Holland. I often collaborated with Takashi Watanabe, the harpsichordist. We even got as far as finalists for an early music competition in Germany. I would like to think I was one of the few active solo viol players of my generation around. I played everything in concerts, mostly Bach, Couperin, Forqueray, Schenk, but never Marais. I have never been fond of Marais and I think it has been done to death by violists. I always try my best to avoid his music.

I know you're involved in giving concerts in Singapore. What are the viol and early music scenes like in Singapore?

There is not very much activity in Singapore because the early music has not quite had enough exposure yet. In 2000, I managed to form an early music group to explore performing in Singapore. We managed to perform almost all the major genres of baroque music. We probably were the first in Singapore to ever do a 'one voice per part' Bach cantata, French air de cour, Monteverdi opera and so much more. We were faced with a surprising enthusiasm by our audience, most of whom were probably not sure what kind of musicians we were. I still hope to return to Singapore and resurrect this group, but my commitments are with Australia now.

As a viol player, I did solo concerts in Singapore. Solo meaning, unaccompanied. I played anything and everything that was written for solo viol, even modern music. Recently, it has been mostly solo French music: Dubuisson, Hotman, DeMachy, Sainte-Colombe. I've done occasional "cross over" performances, with other artists like poets, singers, dancers, etc.

What particular challenges face the viol player in Perth? Are there challenges in Australia more generally?

In Perth, there are no other professional viol players, so playing consort is out of the question. Although there is a greater appreciation for classical music in Perth than there is in Singapore, there is probably less awareness in early music here. There is only one early music group, which is made up of the faculty of the university's music department. Occasionally I do join them. In the meantime, I spend more time teaching violin than anything else. At the moment, I am discussing representation by a local agent, which I hope will advance my career somewhat.

There are challenges anywhere. It just changes according to where you are.

Could you describe a typical lesson with José? What kinds of things were discussed in your lessons, and what did you play?

Most of my formative years of gamba playing consisted of technical exercises, e.g. bowing and finger exercises. A typical lesson would begin with me playing a piece that I've prepared, and then we would work from there. If there was a technical issue, the passage would be analysed in detail and the exact physical movement required to execute this passage would be discussed. It's an extremely efficient way to learn, which in time teaches the student to teach himself. Most, if not all, of his musical ideas are extremely expressive, sometimes going beyond the boundaries of what some consider tasteful, but I loved it.

What was the most important thing you learnt from José? How did his approach differ from other teachers you’ve encountered?

My bowing technique. Most of the other teachers I encountered did not seem to have a specific technique or a methodology, they just played. I think this is because the viol's repertoire is not so difficult that you cannot get away with some shortcomings, so there isn't really the need to be as regimented as our modern string player counterparts. Imagine if you had little concept of violin technique? You wouldn't be able to play Bach, let alone Brahms or Beethoven.

Avoiding Marais is a big challenge for a viol player. What turns you off Marais, and what are you finding in Schenck, Forqueray and others that you’re not finding in Marais?

The music of Marais is generally overplayed by viol players everywhere. This is understandable, since most of his music is pleasing and technically not too challenging. But after 5 books of Prelude, Allemande, Courante, etc., I am starting to feel that these books were intended as a commercial venture, rather than an artistic pursuit. Why I say this is because, in the context of baroque France, there are far better things. Lully, for instance, who can regarded as a benchmark for all things French, created the most wonderful sacred works. I know this can be considered a far fetched comparison, but the level of artistry and imagination that we get from Lully, in my opinion, is far more developed than anything we see in all 5 books of Marais. Not to mention, Lully's style was established before Marais', and Marais definitely knew how great Lully was. I think we are being shortchanged somewhat.

I am aware of many modern viol player's admiration of Marais, occasionally treating his music as the Rolls Royce of the French viol. My feeling is that these 5 books simply cannot represent the best pieces of the great Marais of baroque France. In giving these pieces more worth than what they have is simply misrepresenting the abilities of the French viol. Do you think Marais would sell his best pieces to just anyone? Everyone would start to sound like him!

I have a lot more faith in the works of Antoine Forqueray (Pièces de viole - Paris, 1747). The context in which they were transmitted is a clear indication of what we should expect from the French viol - a more varied style with greater technical requirements. These pieces were published posthumously by Jean Baptiste, his son, and possibly against the wishes of Antoine. I believe that they are an almost exact copy of Antoine's collected personal pieces. I am aware of the modern opinion that these pieces are actually the work of Jean-Baptiste, not those of Antoine. I completely reject this idea, since there is no historical evidence for this except for some similarity of the musical language with certain French violinists, which itself is not a compelling argument for the attribution of an entire collection of viol pieces. Many pieces share the more traditional idiom of 'jeu d'harmonie', which had been developed far back in the 1620s, as seen in the unaccompanied pieces of Hotman and similar composers that come after him, however with a more 'modern' musical language. In fact if you play Forqueray alone, you will find that most of it is already complete. Just listen to Forqueray's arrangement for harpsichord and the transcription for theorbo by De Visée. Doesn't it sound like unaccompanied music? Maybe that is why the basso continuo part for the viol sounds sometimes so redundant. I often play unaccompanied Forqueray to audiences, and so far, no one has ever realised that I was actually playing music that requires basso continuo. The texture is so rich and complete, and for a very good reason too; he never intended anyone to back him up. A truly great soloist wouldn't need any back up, would he? We could not do the same for Marais as his music has a completely different purpose. Marais' music is music meant for the general public, but Forqueray's music represents the actual pieces that he played himself; music we should expect from a great virtuoso of this period. There are some pieces of Marais that I would never perform for an audience. Do you think Marais would?

Susie Napper and I had a discussion about Isabelle Panneton’s ‘Ellipses’, which Les Voix Humaines performed while they were in Australia. This was a piece that had been inspired by Sainte-Colombe’s concerts and yet, in some ways, the music didn’t sit well on the viol at all, something you rarely feel in Saint-Colombe’s own works. What is your exposure to modern works for the viol, and do you feel, as one sometimes does with Schenck, that you make the music work in spite of the instrument?

Writing for the viol must be very difficult for the modern-day composer. As far as I know, there are no manuals out there to teach you how to write for this instrument, so understandably, there are pieces out there which do not suit the viol as well as one would like. But as viol players, we must be used to this. Bach's gamba sonatas are not all that idiomatic for the viol, but because they are such great pieces (more likely because it's Bach), we work as hard as we can to make them sound pleasing. Perhaps an even better example are Couperin's suites for the viol, which are the most beautiful pieces ever written for the viol, but don't always make too much sense technically (however I am starting to better decipher his intentions). In fact playing Schenk and Forqueray is far easier for the hand and the bow, despite requiring more pyrotechnics.

Where will you be in twenty years?

This is a very hard one. I suspect I will be doing something completely unrelated to music in some tropical island somewhere.

The Twain Shall Meet - Shaun Ng's bass viol knows no bounds

by Greg Cahill


For Shaun Ng, discovering the viola da gamba proved a life-changing experience. "I personally believe that there is a missing link in our musical heritage," says the 22-year-old Malaysian musician and composer, "as there is no bass instrument—other than the viola da gamba—that expresses this kind of tonality. The larger cousin of the erh-hu [the two-string Chinese violin], to my knowledge, does not exist anymore. The modern reproductions of it are closely related to the cello and the double bass. This is why perhaps many people here possess a special affinity for the cello. But the viola da gamba has many more possibilities than a cello.

"Imagine what one can do with seven strings instead of four!"

Ng, a student at the Amsterdam Conservatory of Music, has been exploring those possibilities in some interesting ways while winning rave reviews. As the founder of the Singapore-based ensemble Musica Obscura, which specializes in medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music, Ng is introducing the viola da gamba (also known as the bass viol) and early European music to a larger Asian audience. As a solo artist, he has performed and recorded works by Bach and Telemann, among others. But he also performs contemporary material in a duo with harpsichordist Shane Thio.

As a composer, Ng is helping to bring this ancient European instrument into the modern world. He recently told music writer Rachel Jacques that his mission is "to penetrate the souls of the listeners and to excite their emotions (to use the words of Leopold Mozart), and make accessible and familiar the raw energy and humanistic allusions that thrive in the nature of this music.

"We want to serve as an alternative to the more staid and established classical music conventions and institutions already prevalent in Singapore," he added. "One needs to understand what music is really about. People in Singapore need to be subjected to raw and honest emotion without the glitz and glamour of concert halls."

As a teen, Ng traveled to Europe on a scholarship and has since studied early music with Richard Boothby and Lucy Robinson of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Mieneke van der Velden of the Amsterdam Conservatory, and Philippe Pierlot of the Royal Conservatory of the Hague.

"I discovered the viola da gamba in 1997 when I met José Vázquez, the professor of early music at the Musikhochschule Vienna, while studying modern violin there," Ng says. "The initial attraction was naturally its sound. The viola da gamba possesses a kind of sound that evokes certain emotions—a kind of melancholy that complements such Asian instruments as the Indian sarang and the Chinese erh-hu. That is no surprise since these instruments share many similar technical attributes."

As an associate artist at the Substation, Singapore's first independent arts center, Ng is exploring the boundaries of that instrument. Last August, Ng premiered his own multimedia avant-garde performance piece, Suites of Stranger Taste, Book 1, a reference to a series of works by progressive French viola da gambist Marin Marais (1656–1728). The work employed the viola da gamba in compositions based on Indian ragas and teamed Ng with filmmaker Tania Sng, Bharatanatyam choreographer and dancer Arul Ramiah, and award-winning poet Cyril Wong of Singapore.

"The response was great," Ng says of his growing Malaysian following, an audience that obviously appreciates the bold cross-cultural approach he brings to his works. "As with Suites of Stranger Taste, Book 1, as often as possible I like to reach out to poets, composers, musicians, and dancers in my work. And I'm finding there are many others here who like to experience this form of experimental art."

Back to the Future from the Baroque

by Justin Cheong


Something really old is about to become really hip!
The 20th century witnessed a resurgence of interest in the 500 year old viol (or viola da gamba) for the authentic performance of early music. But come August, the founder of early music group, Musica Obscura, Shaun Ng, will be making a radically cutting-edge step for the instrument in a collaborative performance that sees him cross-pollinating the media of music, film, dance and poetry.
The performance is titled Suites of a Stranger Taste, Book 1, a reference to a series of works by progressive French viola da gambist Marin Marais (1656-1728). In a programme as unconventional as Marais, Ng will compose and perform the accompaniment to a film created by Tania Sng, an Indian dance by Arul Ramiah and a poetry recital by Cyril Wong. Ng's long-time friendship with Wong made for a better understanding during this unusual collaboration. "Performance poetry," Ng explains, "is something which is often done very badly, because it's too easy to get carried away and end up writing a 'song'. We decided that I should have the freedom to give his poetry a different interpretation through my music."
A love for Indian culture and music prompted Ng to improvise on a tradition Indian raga and employ the talents of dance Arul Ramiah, whose choreography is based on the Bharatanatyam school of dance. Ng feels that early music and Indian music share many similarities, especially the art of improvisation and ornamentation. He reflects: "I do sometimes imagine that perhaps somewhere in history, these two cultures have met."
The performance will involve an improvisation of the Charukeshi raag in a non-metered form within a cyclical rhythmic structure. "Its supposed form should be no different from a traditional raga. The only things that I cannot recreate are certain ornaments, which aren't easily executed on a fretted instrument. Hopefully, one will forget that I am playing a musical instrument of Western origin."
Finally, multimedia forms a central theme in the performance. Ng articulates succinctly: "In our culture of television and film, what better way is there to reach out to audiences?" Ng intends to go beyond music, sound, noise, silence and emotions in an aural and visual experience, which incorporates a film by Tania Sng on the issues faced by Singaporean women.
"We developed this theme to explore the struggles of women amidst the lessons and fears faced in life, "Ng elaborates. "The music used to accompany her creation was composed along these lines to give the audience a more intense and heartfelt experience."
Held at The Substation, the performance will take advantage of the intimate venue to educate audiences on the viola gamba's reticence and poetry. "It has already missed out the best of the 1800s and 1900s," says Ng. "I hope it will be welcomed in the 21st century as the musical instrument that best describes the 'voice' of humanity." With a young artist like Ng as a proponent of the viola da gamba in such innovative new forms, it certainly looks like this ancient instrument can achieve the very goal.
Suites of a Stranger Taste, Book 1, on 30 August at The Substation - Guinness Theatre.

Young Plays Old Music

by Tan Shzr Ee


The latest trend in the music world is old, and we mean really old.
Performer Shaun Ng, who is barely 21, will take you back into the musty 17th century this weekend, when he performs at The Substation, with the group he founded, Musica Obscura.
The final-year student on a summer break from the a music course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Britain, plays amongst other things, an ancient seven stringed fiddle called the viola da gamba.
He is a budding specialist in Early Music, and intends to bring it to Singapore audiences in a big way.
"It's a process of discovery," he says. "In each concert, we try to be authentic and re-create the composer's original intentions and what might have happened in the 17th century. But we are all young and vibrant, and have something individual to add, too."
Up on the bill this weekend are unusual composers such as Ortiz, Marais and Abel. Audiences can expect an intimate dose of harpsichords jangling to genteel, sprightly bowing on large and small fiddles.
"Of course people come because it's exotic. I think it's perfectly understandable," he says. "But after a few times of coming to our concerts, it no longer becomes exotic. You realise there is something deep behind it all."
One common view is that this curious genre of music. assumed to be "trapped" in its own "time", is the sacred territory of silver-haired professors poring over crusty manuscripts.
And the novelty of this time-capsule appeal has apparently caught on with Singaporeans.
Since Ng formed his Musica Obscura with friends last September, he has already played four well-attended concerts here, slotted in between his school semesters. There is also talk of two more gigs to come in December, not including this week's engagement.
As Ng would like to think, this form of music-making is more than a passing fad here.
"I think there's a future for Early Music in Singapore here. I believe Early Music is much more accessible than your Romantic and Classical fare in the concert halls," he says.
"It doesn't require that you sit still for two hours and take in all the arty-farty stuff. It's not too deep or serious; often it can very light and dance-y."
Before you can accuse him of living in an ivory tower of old-fogey values dressed up as a clever academia, let the club music fan, who breaks the stuffy musician stereotype in his V-neck and lanky jeans assure you otherwise.

Old Instrument Does Not Play Second Fiddle

by Sandra Leong


A 17th-century musical instrument can keep company with modern art forms like film.
That is the view of viola da gamba player Shaun Ng who is linking up with dance, poetry and film practitioners in a performance, Suites of a Stranger Taste, Book 1.
Ng, 22, will provide the music to accompany a poetry recital by Cyril Wong, a short film screening by Tania Sng and an Indian dance by Arul Ramiah.
Ng is also a founding member of Musica Obscura, a group of musicians who began exploring a repertoire of Early Music on period instruments in 2000.
Suites draws from his training in Early Music, paying homage to French Baroque composer and viola da gamba player Marin Marais.
The latter scored a series of works translated loosely as Suite of a Foreign Taste.
In it, Ng combines some of Marais' music with his own.
"Being a viola da gamba player, you are constantly exposed to the great music of Bach, Forqueray, Marais and Schenk," he says.
"Sometimes, you wish you could just step out of this mainstream genre and create your own music, just like how these composers did when they were alive."
He forged the unusual blend of performers from his personal admiration of others' works.
Of poet and good friend Wong, he says: "Cyril is a good writer who understands poetry well as a genre. His poetry also has a good sense of phrasing and rhythm. This is very important if you are trying to write music to it."
In return, Wong feels such collaborations will give his poems more exposure across different media.
One of his poems, One-Track Vision, was adapted for a short film by Sng last year. His other works have also been adapted for plays and soundtracks.
Similarly, Ng approached Ramiah and Sng because he shared their passion for Indian culture and film-making.
Though the viola da gamba is often associated with baroque music, Ng believes that it is suited perfectly for a contemporary context.
"One should not come to this performance expecting a baroque recital. Yes, the viola da gamba was a baroque instrument, but perhaps this recital will change that idea."

Private Lessons


Dr Shaun Ng, BMus (Amsterdam), BMus Hons (Wales), MA (UWA), DMA (Sydney)

I provide private lessons on the violin, viola, baroque violin and viola da gamba to learners of all ages and abilities.

Experience. For over more than two decades, I have taught music at all levels of education, from pre-primary to tertiary. In addition to teaching at my studio, I now also teach alongside many of Sydney's best music educators at Santa Sabina College, where I teach students individually, in groups and in ensembles from years 1 to 12.

Qualifications. I received my training in music and teaching from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Australia. My highest qualification is a Doctor of Musical Arts, which qualifies me to work in university, college, and conservatory teaching positions.

Professional. Although I am an experienced performing musican, I am a primarily a musician who regards teaching as my main profession and priority. I am constantly developing and refining my skills as a teacher and performer for the benefit of my students and the community.

Technology. My teaching studio uses many technologies to promote effective teaching and learning to students. For example, I can provide Skype lessons to students who do not live locally. In addition, the administration and scheduling of my studio is done electronically, so that you will be able to maintain your schedule, receive lesson reminders and pay for your lessons online. I am able to accept cash, credit and debit cards.

Results. Over the years, I have helped many of my students to achieve their goals. They have won music scholarships, passed their auditions and attained good results in their examinations. I am experienced in preparing students for AMEB or ABRSM exams.

Location. My dedicated teaching studio is a 3-minute walk from Flemington Station in Homebush West. Free street parking is available.

For further information, you can email me, send me a text or leave me a voicemail at 0491 132 266. I do not answer calls when I am teaching. Working with Children Check: WWC0404345E.

Register your interest by filling in the form below.

Contact Details

To contact me personally or to arrange a lesson:
Location: Homebush West (3-minute walk from Flemington Station)
Telephone: 0491 132 266 (call or text)
Email: shaun at shaunng.com.au
Working with Children Check: WWC0404345E

Biography



Shaun Ng
Bachelor of Music, Conservatorium of Amsterdam
Bachelor of Music with Honours, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
Master of Arts, University of Western Australia
Doctor of Musical Arts, Sydney Conservatorium of Music

Profile:
Performer of the violin, viola, cello, viola da gamba, violone, lute and theorbo; accompanist, researcher and teacher.

After gaining the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama's String Scholarship in 1999, Shaun moved to Europe to study the instrumental performance with many of the best practitioners of early music. He studied the violin with Margaret Faultless and Oliver Webber (RWCMD), and the viol with Richard Boothby, Lucy Robinson (RWCMD) and Mieneke van der Velden (Conservatorium van Amsterdam). He also participated in the master classes of José Vázquez, Catharina Meints and, most recently, Paolo Pandolfo.

At the University of Western Australia, Shaun studied musicology with David Tunley and Suzanne Wijsman as well as orchestral conducting with Peter Moore. During this time, he also taught himself to play the theorbo and subsequently received lessons from Lucas Harris at the Baroque Performance Institute at the Oberlin Conservatory (2008, 2012) and the Tafelmusik Baroque Performance Institute at the University of Toronto (2012). In 2010, Shaun won the Australian Postgraduate Award to pursue doctoral studies at the Conservatorium of Music at the University of Sydney and relocated to that city. He graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2013, studying with Alan Maddox (musicology), Neal Peres Da Costa (historical performance), Daniel Yeadon (cello/viola da gamba) and Tommie Andersson (lute).

In Australia, Shaun has performed and recorded with ensembles such as Ensemble Battistin, Ironwood, St James Baroque, The Marais Project, Thoroughbass, Perth Viol Consort, The Camerata of St John's, Opera Queensland, the Melbourne Bach Choir and The Sydney Conservatorium's Early Music Ensemble. He has presented his research at conferences such as The Pan-Pacific Gamba Gathering (Hawaii, USA), Baroque Performance Institute (Oberlin, USA) and the Musicological Society of Australia. He has published his research in The Viola da Gamba Society Journal (United Kingdom).

Shaun performs on the following instruments:

Violins:
Baroque violin, Benjamin Banks after Amati, Salisbury 1775
Modern violin, anonymous after Stradivari, late 19th century

Violas da gamba:
Seven-string viola da gamba, Sergio Gistri after Nicolas Bertrand 1687, Colle di Val d'Elsa, Italy 2000
Six-string tenor viola da gamba, after Henry Jaye 17th century
Six-string violone by John Hall, after Maggini 17th century

Plucked instruments:
11-course lute, Jason Petty, Wellington, New Zealand, 2013